By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LUCEDALE — Although we’re still about a month away from the south state playoffs starting in Class 6A, one of the biggest three game series in the state in regular season play is on tap this week.

And that is why the George County-Picayune match-up Tuesday night is the “Sonic of South Mississippi Big Game of the Week” in the “Southern Six” as sponsored by Sonic Drive In of South Mississippi.

The defending Class 6A state champion Rebels and Maroon Tide start things off at Claude Passeau Field in Lucedale Tuesday night in a battle for supremacy in Region 4-6A. Both teams come in knotted atop the region race at 5-1 after two weeks of play.

The series continues Friday night at Kent Kirkland Field in Picayune before wrapping up Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., back in Lucedale.

“I don’t believe this week is do or die for this season by any means,” Picayune head coach Evan Stockstill said Monday afternoon just before practice. “With that being said, the goal is to put yourself in the best spot possible going into the playoffs. The winner of this series will take a big step in that direction.”

And further proof of that can be found by just looking back at last season, when these same two teams both finished tied atop the region race with identical 13-2 marks in regular season play. But because George County took two of three games from the Maroon Tide in this annual affair, the Rebels got the top seed for playoff purposes and rode that homefield advantage all the way to the state finals.

Picayune, on the other hand, had to face arch-rival Pearl River Central in the second round with the Blue Devils taking two out of three games at home to win the series and move on to face home-standing GCHS in the Class 6A South State championship series.

The Maroon Tide is coming off a sweep of West Harrison last week after winning two out of three over Pascagoula in week one of region play.

The Rebels swept the Hurricanes as well in week one and the took two of three from Long Beach last week.

Sonic Drive In of South Mississippi has long been a staunch supporter of prep sports in the “Southern Six” and all across the Southeast. The Sonic in Lucedale located at a82 Winter St., is open and available for all of your pre-game and post-game meals this week for both games at Claude Passeau Field.